Acts 18:1-4. Phillipi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens… now Corinth. City by city, Paul continues heading south as he comes to the city of the Corinth. His custom was to always share the gospel at whatever city’s synagogue that happened upon. This was both theological and practical priority. Theologically the gospel is first for the Jewish people (Israel) and then also the Gentile. Jesus came first to the Jews. But practically…Paul always started with the lowest hanging fruit—he started sharing Jesus with those whom he had the most commonality. If someone already believes in God, accepts the Scriptures, understands their need for Christ or is receptive to your message (i.e. the Bereans) why wouldn't you!! While in Corinth Paul meets a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who'd been expelled from Rome by the emperor Claudius. They immediately and effortlessly bond.
There is an interesting side note in verse 3, that like Paul, Aquila and Priscilla were “tentmakers.” They immediately begin working together. Wow, if you know Jesus and have a skillset that's relevant and profitable, and you can stamp you ticket anywhere—why wouldn't you especially for the cause of Jesus.
When you think of the 1st century “cities" you probably imagine buildings, physical structures. But what you should probably imagine is cities of makeshift “tents” (like a refugee camp). If you could make livable shelters in the 1st century, you had an inroad almost everywhere. Think about this…how much rapport would you build by providing someone with a house (tent) to live? If you could solve a person's sheltering needs, they'd be instantly indebted to, and probably thank you with tears, and then introduce you to all their friends. If you can help a person at their most practical point of need—food, water, shelter—you won't need God to open doors, the needs are so prominent, the doors are already off the hinges.
I have a friend who is a fellow chainsaw carver. One day he said, “Jon, I can take a few of my saws, a tank of gas, and go about anywhere in the United States where there is a tree.” I don't think Lara would be too excited if I did—but my friend is right. I wouldn't make it as a “tent-maker" but I could make my way as a “tree-carver." It wouldn't be an extravagant lifestyle of the rich and famous! I’d be sore, wind-whipped, sunburned, coughing up sawdust every night! Lara would leave me! It would be a totally impoverished, missionary lifestyle! But other than that… it could work. When I pull up and do some tree-carving, people come out of the woodwork from everywhere. The homeowners offer hospitality. They’ll happily pay cash for good art. You meet their whole family, their friends. The neighbors and passers-by. I did a carving over on South Grand and met hundreds of people. Even the newspaper, USA Today showed up. It got to where I couldn't finish the carving, people kept stopping me, to talk. If I were to plant some trees in a neighborhood, I would just start carving trees with in proximity to wherever I was. But hey, if you have a relevant talent… why not use it to open gospel doors?
I’ve been on the board for Ignite Church Planting—they are trying to reach the city of Chicago. But do you know how impossibly expensive it is to live in downtown Chicago? Cost of Living is a HUGE obstacle to planting city churches. But if you have a pioneering, tent-making spirit… if you had a relevant skillset that covers your financial needs… you could be a church planter. You move in, you reach 1s, then 10s, 100s, and 1000s, and in a city, potentially, tens of thousands. I didn't notice many trees in downtown Chicago, but there are countless people who need medical help, spiritual and psychological help, economic help and job security… Touch a person at their greatest point of physical need and the spiritual follows.
In Acts 18:5 Silas and Timothy join the entourage. At this point, Paul no longer has to make tents, and devotes himself exclusively to preaching, and bearing witness to Jesus. The same thing happens in Corinth as Thessalonica. Some Jews believe. In Acts 18:7-8 the households of Titus Justus, and a synagogue leader named Crispus believe and are baptized. But other Jews became abusive toward Paul. In Acts 18:6 says, “But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
Jewish rejection of Jesus, and Jewish hatred and persecution of Christians, would continually grow through the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Centuries into the Crusades. In Revelation it isn't so much Emperor or Nero, it’s the Jews persecuting the Seven Churches in Asia Minor! Look at Acts 18:12-13, “12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.” This is the same charge of Impiety we saw in Athens, Thessalonica, and now Corinth.
But two amazing things happen. First, God appears in a vision to Paul. Acts 18:9-11, “9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” I mean how many times can I guy be subject to beatings, floggings, stonings, and prison shackles? Sometimes God allows allows persecution (even death) to befall his servants. Jesus was crucified by Jews. Prophets were rejected and in large part killed by Jews. In Corinth, God protected Paul and this allowed him to stay an extraordinary one-and-a-half years!
Second, God causes the Proconsul Gallio to show favor, give political cover, and legal reprieve to Paul. Acts 18:14-17, “Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them off. 17 Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.”
In reality the Jews (esp. the religious Zealots) were nothing but a headache to the Roman Authorities. They stirred up hatred, chaos, religious and political division everywhere they went. The Jewish Zealots sowed the seeds of modern anti-Semitism. Today there are anti-Semitic Christians –why—because from the time of Jesus to the present, Jewish zealots have been united in throwing fire! But today there are also non-Christian anti-Semitics. Some religious (Muslims), but some irreligious. The Romans got so fed up with the Jewish Zealots in A.D. 70 the Roman Emperor Vespasian sent his general Titus to utterly demolish Jerusalem and the Temple—something Jesus warned Jews would happen. As Christians, we’re not to be anti-Semitic, we’re to be evangelists. We keep bearing witness. We keep suffering for Christ's sake, holding out hope of Jesus, not returning evil for evil but doing good, praying for those who persecute us. It's all right here in Acts 18!
After 1 1/2 years, Paul leaves Corinth. Paul didn't ever let relationships lapse and deteriorate. He consistently returned to those churches and places where the gospel had taken root. He even went to places, and wrote letters to churches (like Colossae/Colossians) where he never personally visited but heard there was faith.
Acts 18:18-23 Paul embarks on a mission of encouragement. What good it is to make gospel gains, if no effort is made to strengthen those newly emerging, fledgling churches? “18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”
Look at a map. This was dangerous and physically exhausting travel. Think of thousands of conversations and happenings barely glossed over, implicit in these verses. Luke is giving us the “gist" of Paul's missionary journeys, not exhaustive chronicle.
While Paul was off encouraging all the other churches, he never forgot about the Corinthians. They believe he wrote four different letters to the Corinthians, two of which have been lost, and two of which we have in our New Testament. Here is the irony. When Paul was in Corinth, the Jewish Zealots were “united" in their attack on the Christians. But then after Paul leaves Corinth, the Christians become “disunited." The church becomes riddled with division.
Keep in mind Corinth is in the shadow of Athens. So, in Paul's letters, he has to address this matter of worldly vs. spiritual wisdom. There were people who took pride in worldly wisdom and philosophy and both despised and dismissed spiritual wisdom as foolish or overly-simplistic. We have the same challenge today. Politicians, Secular Moralists, Scientists, Academics, Bloggers, Influencers, Entertainers, Musicians, Pundits—an endless parade of people diminish people of faith as stupid people. Paul explains how the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing but it’s the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
But in Corinth another problem emerged—you had a cult of brand, a cult of personality that emerged. When we first come to Christ, we identify with those places, personalities who first won us. In Corinth some would say, “I follow Paul” an others “I follow Apollos,” and still others “I follow Christ.” And I was baptized by so-and-so. It was John the Baptist who masterfully announced to all he baptized, “He [Jesus] must become greater, I must become less.” Ultimately people's attachment ought not be to men, movements, church identities or personalities—but to Christ alone. I hate when people say, “I'm a West-Sider, or Lakesider, or Southsider, or Catholic, or Methodist, or this or that.” We are all of Christ. Churches love to build up their brands today. Churches suffocate social media with their name. The only name we’re to make is not of or for ourselves but for Christ!
In Corinth there was so much worldliness, fleshliness. People's divisions and depravity boiled right over in the church. The letters Paul writes to the churches in Corinth are as relevant today as ever. Jesus always warned in prayer that the devil would come and divide God's people. He warned that a house divided cannot stand. In John 17:20-23 Jesus prayed, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Paul's letters to the Corinthians are a masterclass on (1) How God's people today can grow in unity in the core essentials that really matter. (2) How God's people can grow in love, remembering that we are all of Christ and belong to him alone, and not the men, movements, denominations, divisions, politics from which we came. And also (3) How God's people can jettison those secondary matters that are of little consequence to gospel or importance to God. How do we not let matters of opinion, personal taste or preference, or worldly matters poison the fellowship? How do we confront sin and strive for holiness while maintaining unity? So many amazing things to explore!
But two takeaways from Corinth: First, like Jesus, like Paul, like Timothy and Silas, Aquilla and Priscilla… How can we develop a deeper sense of sent-ness, a deeper sense of obedience to mission of Jesus? Is God calling me to share the gospel more boldly? Has he given me a special ability, tent-making talent, a means of connecting with people that naturally engenders their receptivity? If most of my life has been using my ability to advance self, in the second half of my life can God use my abilities to advance gospel?
But then Second, can we encourage the growth and unity of the Church. And not just our brand, or some cult of personality… can we make name of Jesus shine more brightly through our love, through our united witness?
Our prayer is that the whole world will know that God so loved the world, that he sent his one and only son, that whoever believes have eternal life.